Just when the controversy surrounding his drop on the 15^th hole in the second round of the Masters tournament had seemed to subside, Woods found himself embroiled in yet another drop controversy after his tee shot on the 14^th hole in the final round of The Players Championship hooked into a lateral water hazard.   After consulting with his playing competitor, Casey Wittenberg, Woods dropped the ball outside the hazard approximately 255 yards from the pin.   Some observers, including NBC commentator Johnny Miller, thought the ball crossed the hazard line much closer to the tee, and questioned the drop.

If a ball lands in a lateral water hazard (marked by red stakes), one option is to drop the ball outside the hazard within two club lengths (not nearer the hole) from the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard.   If a player drops at an incorrect spot, he is penalized two strokes for playing from a wrong place.

Determining the point a ball last crossed the hazard margin can be difficult given depth perception and ball flight factors.   Recognizing that precision might not be possible in all cases, the Rules of Golf defer to the best judgment of the player and his fellow competitors.   Assume a player and a fellow competitor determine the relevant point, and the player drops and plays his next stroke from that point.  Later, it is determined based on other information that the ball actually crossed the hazard line 20 yards beyond that point.   Decision 26-1/17 explains that there is no penalty, on the theory that the player made an honest judgment as to the point at which the ball crossed the margin of the hazard.

Rules officials at The Players Championship applied the rationale of Decision 26-1/17 in determining that Woods’ drop was legitimate.   Mark Russell, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competitions, explained that, barring any definitive evidence to the contrary, officials must defer to the player, his caddie, and other players in the group.   “Without definitive evidence, the point where Woods’ ball last crossed the lateral water hazard is determined through best judgment by Woods and his fellow competitor,” said Russell.   When questioned by officials, Wittenberg was emphatic that he had isolated the correct point.

The Rules of Golf presume that players adhere to the “Spirit of the Game” by playing with integrity and calling infractions on themselves.   In most cases, play is conducted without the supervision of officials.  In many cases, players must exercise judgment in applying the Rules.   The resolution of the propriety of Woods’ drop at The Players Championship is a good example of deference to player judgment.  Of course, in most cases $1.7 million is not on the line!

The post Another Tiger Woods Drop Controversy at The Players Championship appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

TPC River Highlands hosts the annual Travelers Championship (Photo: TPC.com)

Travelers Insurance, whose contract with the PGA Tour is slated to expire in 2014, expects to remain as host of the Connecticut tournament that bears its name and that the Hartford-based company rescued from near-oblivion six years ago.

“We would love every opportunity to keep going with this,” Andy Bessette, Travelers’ executive VP and chief administrative officer, told us by phone recently. “It’s up to the tour.”

The current contract expires in 2014 and the two parties must ink a new pact by end of this August, said Bessette, who noted that he knew of no reason for the tour to want out.

“We’ve said pretty openly that we’ve been very pleased [with the Travelers Championship],” Bessette said. “Everything has met or exceeded our expectations and we’re in conversations with the tour right now to make sure that they want us to extend.”

Since taking over the former Greater Hartford Open and Buick Championship in 2007, the Travelers has grown into one of the best events on the tour’s annual calendar, and with good reason: the first of two New England stops (the Deutsche Bank Championship takes place at TPC Boston over Labor Day weekend) attracts some of the biggest names in golf, gives back to its Hartford community in charitable contributions and economic impact, and boasts one of only a handful of local backers.

“We’re proud to be one of four or five hometown sponsors on the PGA Tour,” Bessette said.

Indeed, there would have been no PGA Tour event at TPC River Highlands in the intervening years without the insurance giant, said tourney director Nathan Grube. In fact, when Buick removed itself from the proceedings at the end of 2005, prospects of seeing tour pros again in Cromwell were extremely dim.

“We actually had no date on the calendar. It was literally, actually gone, off the calendar,” said Grube, who noted that plans on a Friday afternoon back then were almost finalized for the course to host a Champions Tour event when Travelers stepped in at the 11th hour. By that Sunday evening, the Travelers Championship was a done deal.

Since Travelers signed on, the tourney has garnered a slew of awards — most recently, Most Fan Friendly, Best Sponsor Integration, Best Use of Players. Catering to fans means offering concerts on the golf course (Three Dog Night will perform on June 22), hosting a junior pro-am for 36 kids who raise the most money for their chosen community charities, and First Tee-related clinics with tour pros.

And, of course,there’s the the big, red floating umbrella. During the players’ practice round on Tuesday, the golfer who hits his ball closest to the Travelers logo in the middle of a pond wins $10,000 for the charity of his choice.

New this year will be a celebrity mini-golf tournament on a nine-hole miniature track built between holes one and 18 of the actual course. Two winning teams, comprised of local media and A-listers will earn $2,500 each for designated charities.

Philanthropy is a critical part of the tour event, which has raised more than $30 million for local charities since 1952 (when the tourney was the Insurance City Open). Grube believes this year’s event — from June 20-June 23 — will surpass the record amount of nearly $1.2 million charitable donations in 2012.

Specific plans are still evolving, but with two horrific events hitting close to home — the December massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in nearby Newtown and the Boston Marathon bombings — tourney organizers will pay special tribute to the victims and families affected by both tragedies.

“We want to play any sort of a role in helping [the people of Newtown] heal in any way,” said Grube. “We’re going to try to do whatever we can for them.”

This year, a slew of popular players, including 2012 Masters champ Bubba Watson, fan-fave Rickie Fowler, and New England boys Keegan Bradley and James Driscoll, have committed to the event, which launched Watson into superstar status with his first win in 2010.

As to whether organizers will ever succeed in luring newly crowned Players Championship winner Tiger Woods to Hartford, Grube gushed about the guys who show up year after year.

“We’re thrilled with the field,” he said. “We wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Travelers Championship likely to remain in New England appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Sluman, who recently won the 2013 Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf with partner and Charity Classic co-host Brad Faxon, is back for his 10th appearance.  Sluman, a six-time PGA TOUR and five-time Champions Tour winner, has twice won the CVS Caremark Charity Classic (2003, 1999).

Oosthuizen, currently ranked seventh in the World Golf Rankings, is making his Charity Classic debut.  He holds 10 international titles, including his recent win at the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions in his native South Africa.  Most recently he tied for 10th at the Shell Houston Open.  2011 Fed-Ex Cup champion Haas is making his fifth appearance in the event.  He and his father, Jay Haas, captured the CVS Caremark Charity Classic trophy in 2004.  Veteran golfer Zoeller – who has 12 career victories across the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour – brings strong play to the tournament as well.

The CVS Caremark Charity Classic uniquely offers sports enthusiasts the chance to enjoy world-class golf in a relaxed atmosphere while helping to support hundreds of New England area charities.  Tournament week begins with the Pepsi Pro-Am on Sunday, June 23 followed by the two-day tournament on Monday, June 24-Tuesday, June 25 at the Rhode Island Country Club.

New for 2013, the CVS Caremark Charity Classic is honoring veterans by offering complimentary admission for all active, reserve and retired Military Service Members and their dependents.  Veterans simply present a valid Common Access Card or Retired Military Card at the gate any day throughout the three-day tournament.  Police and Fire department employees and their families also receive free admission with a valid ID.

Tickets

Tickets for the 2013 CVS Caremark Charity Classic are available through a special offer at CVS/pharmacy stores in Rhode Island as well as select CVS/pharmacy locations in Southeastern Massachusetts.  Fans can purchase select products to receive a voucher good for one good-any-day ticket.  Visit cvscharityclassic.comfor details on eligible products.

In addition, fans can purchase a three-day pass ($60) or single, good-any-day tickets ($25) by calling 866-CVS-9441 or visiting cvscharityclassic.com for a mail-in application.  Children 17 and under are free with a ticketed adult.  The tournament also offers tickets to the Wine Pavilionpresented by Robert Mondavi Private Selection.  Open to attendees ages 21 or older, the Wine Pavilion is located between the 16^th and 17^th fairways along Narragansett Bay and offers daily food and wine samplings provided by award-winning Robert Mondavi, Clos Du Bois and Blackstone wines.  Offering spectacular, close-up views of tournament play, tickets to the pavilion tent are $50 per day.

The post Four Elite Golfers Join 2013 CVS Caremark Charity Classic Field appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Keegan Bradley offers his version of “Dufnering” (Photo: Twitter via @Keegan_Bradley)

The Travelers Championship on Tuesday added several more golfers to its already star-studded lineup.

Rickie Fowler, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Jason Dufner, Fredrik Jacobson, and Padraig Harrington will join a stalwart field that includes local hero Keegan Bradley, 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson, and defending champion Marc Leishman for the June 20-June 23 competition at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

“We couldn’t be more excited to announce the commitments of such talented players in Rickie, Lee, Ian, Jason, Freddie and Padraig,” tournament director Nathan Grube said in a statement. “Along with being great golfers, these six individuals are all well known and our fans will be thrilled to see them compete in person. Our competitive field just got a lot stronger with these additions.”

Fan-fave Fowler will make his third start at the tourney but first since 2010. Fresh off a T8 finish at last week’s Players Championship, Westwood will tee it up at the Travelers for the second time, while Ryder Cup teammate and hero of the 2012 European team, Ian Poulter, travels to Hartford for the third time.

Dufner, who’s as well known for the “Dufnering” social media craze that went viral earlier this year as for his two PGA Tour wins, will make his fourth start at the Travelers.

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Travelers Championship adds popular players to June tourney appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

At the WGC-Cadillac Championship in March, Tiger Woods’ tee shot on the 17^th hole sailed into a palm tree and became lodged in the branches.   Woods was able to identify the ball with binoculars and dropped a ball by the tree with a 1-stroke penalty under the unplayable ball rule.

Sergio Garcia took a more aggressive approach when his ball came to rest in a tree about 10 feet above the ground during the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill later that month.   The agile Spaniard climbed into the tree and played a remarkable shot, although he seemed to injure his leg slightly in the process.   Don’t try this at home.

Of course, if Garcia isn’t playing shots from trees, he’s complaining about distractions from competitors who are in the trees.   Yesterday on the second hole of the Players Championship, Garcia hit an errant shot from the fairway and later contended that he was distracted during his backswing by commotion in the trees where Woods was preparing to hit his second shot.   Woods explained that he had been told Garcia had already hit, and commented: “I’m really not surprised he was complaining about something.”    Garcia’s rejoinder:  “At least I’m true to myself.”  There is no love fest between these two competitors at Sawgrass.

Meanwhile, Hunter Mahan became the latest tree victim when his tee shot on the 15^th hole yesterday became ensnared in branches.   Mahan was able to identify the ball with the assistance of a photographer with a zoom lens.     “The wind started really blowing.  I was hoping it would blow my ball out,” said Mahan.   No such luck.  Mahan took a double bogey after the 1-stroke penalty.

What is the procedure if your ball becomes lodged in a tree?    Unless you can find your ball in the tree, you must treat it as lost.  This means that, under the stroke-and-distance rule, you must go back to the spot where you played the shot, take a penalty stroke, and play another ball.  (Rule 27-1c.)  The unplayable ball rule (Rule 28), which provides additional options, is not applicable.

If you see a ball in the tree, can you assume it is yours and avoid the lost ball penalty?  While this might seem to be a reasonable assumption, unfortunately you must treat your ball as lost unless you can positively identify the ball in the tree as yours.   If you are able to identify your ball (e.g., by climbing the tree or using binoculars), you are entitled to invoke the unplayable ball rule.   One option under that rule is to drop a ball within two club-lengths of the point on the ground that is directly below the ball.  You will incur a penalty stroke.   But if you don’t carry binoculars in your bag along with your bug spray and suntan lotion, you’re probably looking at the stroke-and-distance rule.

Of course, if you’re feeling particularly nimble, you’re free to emulate Garcia, climb the tree, and attempt to play the ball.   In most cases, you’re probably best to take the penalty stroke and live to fight another battle on the course where your chances of success are greater.    Like that patented low burner from the woods that miraculously avoids a dozen trees and finds the fairway.  Sometimes.

Jack Ross is the editor of Ross’ Rulings.  He has never attempted to climb a tree to  identify a ball.

The post 2013: The Year of the Tree? appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Keegan Bradley and his mother, Kaye (Photo: PGATour.com)

Keegan Bradley may be known to the golfing world as the winner of the 2011 PGA Championship, but to his mother, Kaye, the New England skier turned professional golfer will always be her little boy.

“I am so utterly proud of Keegan and all his accomplishments, but it truly means almost more to me when someone comes up and tells me what a nice kid he is,” Kaye Bradley says in a PGA Tour-filmed Mother’s Day vignette. “That means so much to me.”

Bradley’s mother recalls that her son, “already entrenched” in golf by the age of three or four and “a fabulous ski racer,” was miserable in the snow. So she packed him up and took him to a double-decker driving range on Rte. 1 in Saugus, Mass.

“He hit, I don’t know how may buckets,” she says. “I didn’t think the smile was every going to get off his face.”

Bradley the golfer often talks about how he plays with a chip on his shoulder. “My mum always believed in me, that I was going to make it. There was never a question,” he says in the short film. “A lot of people did doubt me, but never my parents, never my mum.”

As part of the project, Kaye shared 18 little-known facts about the three-time tour winner. For instance, while it’s hardly a shock that a kid who grew up in Vermont and Massachusetts would have a yen for lobster, did you know that Keegan can tuck into five or six at one sitting?

Or that the kid who loved to golf also had a thing for fishing? “At a very young age [Keegan] used to hide a telescopic rod in his golf bag to fish in the river at the 13th hole at Woodstock Country Club in Vermont,” Kaye says about the 2011 tour Rookie of the Year.

For more about Keegan you may not know, visit PGATour.com.

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Keegan Bradley’s mom dishes about her son, the PGA Tour pro appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Cristie Kerr wins Kingsmill Championship for 3rd time (Photo: Wikipedia)

Cristie Kerr has a well-deserved reputation as a hard-nosed competitor, so she wasn’t about to knuckle under to playing partner Suzann Pettersen’s head games.

“I was really just proud of the way I tried to just tend and take care of my own game today, especially with Suzann,” Kerr told reporters after defeating Pettersen on the second playoff hole for her third Kingsmill Championship title. “She likes to try and intimidate people out there, but I’m not really that easily intimidated so I just took care of my own game.”

Kerr brought a two-shot lead over Pettersen and Stacy Lewis, her trademark grit, and the knowledge that her father had the chance for the first time since she was a junior to watch her win a golf tourney into Sunday’s finale. Even after failing to drain a six-foot putt for the win on the first extra frame, Kerr was undeterred.

“I wasn’t going to lose, not today, not with my dad here,” said Kerr, whose final-round 2-under 69 to Pettersen’s 67 put her in a 12-under tie for first.

Pettersen entered the contest fresh from a win at April’s LPGA Lotte Championship and a T3 at last week’s North Texas LPGA Shootout, while Kerr’s last victory came in November at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational. The two competitors are among the most fervent on tour, and Kerr made note of that in her post-win remarks.

“I don’t know, she just tries to stare down the shots,” Kerr said. “She does her own thing, so do I. We know each other well enough to know that we’re not going to intimidate each other out there.”

Despite the obvious rivalry, the winner of the second Kingsmill playoff in two years, was quick to laud her opponent with a description many employ to characterize Kerr.

“She’s a great competitor. She’s a fierce competitor. She’s amazing to play with, and in [the Solheim Cup], she’s fierce,” Kerr said about the player she went toe-to-toe with for the final round and into overtime. “You can never count her out. I can’t say enough about her, she’s a great player.”

As for the presence of her dad, Michael Kerr, for the momentous occasion, Kerr, whose on-course passions are never far from the surface, acknowledged the win was poignant for father and daughter.

“I mean, I think we just kind of cried and we were just really happy,” said Kerr. “I just said, you know, it’s not only my day today, but it’s his day. It was really great.”

Among other players in the field, New England golfer Alison Walshe had her best finish of the 2013 season. With first- and last-round scores in the 60s, Walshe, from Westford, Mass., finished at 2-under and in a tie for 17th.

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Cristie Kerr wins Kingsmill Championship in playoff appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

The first co-ed team to take home the CVS Caremark Charity Classic trophy, Pressel and Haas return to defend their 2012 title.  Haas, a nine-time PGA TOUR and 16-time Champions Tour victor, also won the event in 2004 when he partnered with his son Bill Haas. This will be Haas’ seventh appearance in the Charity Classic and the fifth for Pressel who holds two LPGA titles.

Returning for her second consecutive appearance is Sorenstam, a World Golf Hall of Fame member and an eight-time Rolex Player of the Year. Sorenstam’s impressive career includes 89 total wins, including 72 LPGA victories, 10 of which are major championships.  Horschel, who will be making his first appearance at the CVS Caremark Charity Classic, has had an incredible year thus far, posting five top-10 finishes including a tie for second at the Shell Houston Open and a tie for third at the Valero Texas open.  He is sure to be a crowd favorite.

The CVS Caremark Charity Classic uniquely offers sports enthusiasts the chance to enjoy world-class golf in a relaxed atmosphere while helping to support hundreds of New England-area charities. Tournament week begins with the Pepsi Pro-Am on Sunday, June 23, followed by the two-day tournament on Monday, June 24 –Tuesday, June 25, at the Rhode Island Country Club.

New for 2013, the CVS Caremark Charity Classic is honoring veterans by offering complimentary admission for all active, reserve and retired Military Service Members and their dependents.  Veterans simply present a valid Common Access Card or Retired Military Card at the gate any day throughout the three-day tournament. Police and Fire department employees and their families also receive free admission with a valid ID.

Tickets

Beginning May 12, tickets for the 2013 CVS Caremark Charity Classic will be available through a special offer at CVS/pharmacy stores in Rhode Island as well as select CVS/pharmacy locations in Southeastern Massachusetts.  Fans can purchase select products to receive a voucher good for one good-any-day ticket.  Visit cvscharityclassic.com for details on eligible products.

In addition, fans can purchase a three-day pass ($60) or single, good-any-day tickets ($25) by calling 866-CVS-9441 or visiting cvscharityclassic.com for a mail-in application.  Children 17 and under are free with a ticketed adult.  The tournament also offers tickets to the Wine Pavilionpresented by Robert Mondavi Private Selection.  Open to attendees ages 21 or older, the Wine Pavilion is located between the 16^th and 17^th fairways along Narragansett Bay and offers daily food and wine samplings provided by award-winning Robert Mondavi, Clos Du Bois and Blackstone wines.  Offering spectacular, close-up views of tournament play, tickets to the pavilion tent are $50 per day.

The post Billy Horschel Joins CVS Caremark Charity Classic Field appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Tickets for the exciting playoff event, held August 28 – September 2, will go on sale to the public tomorrow, May 8 at 10a.m. Tickets are available online at www.dbchampionship.com, by phone at 800-594-TIXX (8499) or at any of Golfsmith’s seven Massachusetts locations.

Fans can once again be closer to all the action with Rope Side Seating, which guarantees a front row seat. Located on both the 17th and 18th holes, this VIP seating option is the only option of its kind and guarantees a green side view of the Championship. Seats are limited and must be purchased as a booklet for all competition rounds. The Rope Side Seating booklet is priced at $550 for the 17th green and $600 for the 18th green, and includes a total of $60 of DBC Food and Beverage Bucks, as well as access to the Champions Club located on the 17th fairway. New for 2013 the Rope Side Seating Booklets now includes one (1) weekly VIP parking pass.

The Signature Skybox, returning to the Championship for the second consecutive year, is an open-air sky box located on the signature hole of TPC Boston, the par-3 16th. The structure includes a full retail bar, limited concession menu with chair side wait service and stadium seating to provide a tremendous view of the action. Tickets can be purchased for $125 for Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and $150 for the Championship’s final round on Monday. New for 2013, each Signature Skybox order will now include one (1) VIP parking pass.

The Champions Club is a remarkable spectator destination located on the 17th Fairway of the TPC Boston.  This venue includes a covered unique bleacher set, retail food court including full bar, courtyard seating outside with picnic tables, executive restrooms and a furnished interior. Tickets can be purchased at $25 for Wednesday, $50 for Thursday and $80 for Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday. In addition, one weekly ticket booklet (Wednesday-Monday) can be purchased for $275 (a savings of $115).

The Deutsche Bank Championship continues to offer the following special ticket promotions so fans can enjoy the annual New England Labor Day weekend tradition:

·         MasterCard cardholders will receive up to 10% savings off Champions Club and Grounds tickets with the promo code MCDBC and their MasterCard card.

·         Bring the whole family and enjoy a day at the Championship with an excellent family admission option. Children 15 years and younger receive complementary grounds admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. The Championship has amenities for families and children, including up-front parking, parent/child restrooms and a children’s concession area.

·         College students, with a valid college ID, can purchase up to two grounds tickets at $25 per ticket.

·         Spectators will again be able to purchase tickets in Golfsmith store locations. Golf Town Boston locations are now Golfsmith stores, the only place to buy Flexible Good-Any-One-Day Champions Club or Grounds tickets.  All tickets bought in Golfsmith stores will also gain access to the Golfsmith Viewing Zone at the 18th tee. Find a Massachusetts location at golfsmith.com/stores.

The Deutsche Bank Championship is in its seventh year as a FedExCup playoff event on the PGA TOUR, and 2012 featured a dramatic playoff finish with Rory McIlroy shooting 4-under on Monday to finish at 20-under for the entire tournament, winning by one shot over Louis Oosthuizen.

Details on all ticket options are available at www.dbchampionship.com. Golf fans can also follow the latest news surrounding the Deutsche Bank Championship on the official Championship social media sites, www.facebook.com/DeutscheBankChampionship and www.twitter.com/DBChampionship.

The post 2013 DBC Championship Tickets on Sale May 8th appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.

Perennial Golf Digest top-50 teaching pro and River Highlands instructor, Suzy Whaley, made the announcement on her Twitter page last week.

“Best news ever for PGA tour Charities girls golf fair presented by Cobra Puma in Hartford!!” @suzywhaley tweeted. “@Lexi coming!!! May 11 at TPC River Highlands!”

Whaley said Wednesday in Hartford during “Golf Industry Day” that Thompson would put on a ball-striking exhibition, sign autographs, and answer fans’ questions during her stint at the course that hosts the PGA Tour’s annual Travelers Championship.

Joining Thompson, who led her Curtis Cup team to victory at Massachusetts’ Essex County Club and became the youngest golfer (at the time) to win an LPGA event when she triumphed at the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic at the age of 16, will be 2013 U.S. Solheim Cup assistant captain Dottie Pepper. Pepper, a 17-time tour winner, recently retired from eight years as an NBC and Golf Channel analyst to devote herself to growing the game as a PGA of America board member.

LPGA-USGA Girls Golf provides opportunities for girls to play and teaches them the values inherent in golf, such as patience, respect, perseverance, and honesty.

The TPC River Highlands festivities for girls aged 5-17 kick off at 8 a.m., with an afternoon session starting at 11 a.m. To register (fee is $20 per junior golfer) visit the LPGA Foundation.

 (Photo: Wikipedia)

Emily Kay is a regular contributor to New England Golf Monthly. You may follow Kay on Twitter @golfexaminer

The post Lexi Thompson to headline Connecticut Girls Golf Fair appeared first on New England Golf Monthly.